After the recent Eduardo farrago, Arsenal fans must have smiled ruefully – once they'd stopped swearing – when their team fell two goals behind to a controversial penalty. William Gallas swiped at his opponent's legs but was there a hint of simulation as the Liège player fell to earth? And what of the Gunners' leveller? Handball?

There certainly appears to be a siege mentality at Arsenal currently, with Arsène Wenger muttering darkly about a 'witch hunt' against Eduardo and condemning Emmanuel Adebayor after his 'face-off' with Robin van Persie at the weekend. Is this mind set helpful to Arsenal, instilling a stronger team ethos – one that came in handy tonight – or does it instead create an atmosphere of paranoia?

Of course, Arsenal have had injury problems: Van Persie, Andrey Arshavin, Theo Walcott and Manuel Almunia all missed tonight's trip but should the Gunners have built a stronger squad in the first place, or was tonight evidence that they can win without some of their strongest players?